Arizona, 2022

Excessive Heat and Heat in Arizona, June 16 to 17, 2022

June 16 to 17, 2022 · NWS PSR · 6 events in 4 counties and zones

A strong ridge of high pressure was centered over the Central Plains during the middle part of the month with the Desert Southwest feeling its influence. This brought excessive heat conditions to the region with temperatures in Phoenix peaking at 113 on the 16th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
9
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS PSR wrote it up.

A strong ridge of high pressure was centered over the Central Plains during the middle part of the month with the Desert Southwest feeling its influence. This brought excessive heat conditions to the region with temperatures in Phoenix peaking at 113 on the 16th. According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, 9 heat-associated fatalities occurred during this time.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Phoenix, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 16, 5:45 AM MST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 16, 5:45 AM MST, 4 hours 15 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 excessive heat, 3 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix

When
June 16, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Central Phoenix forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender, circumstances, and exact location unavailable.

Excessive Heat, East Valley

When
June 16, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
East Valley forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender, circumstances, and exact location unavailable.

Excessive Heat, Buckeye/Avondale

When
June 16, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where
Buckeye/Avondale forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender, circumstances, and exact location unavailable.

Heat, Central Phoenix

When
June 17, 12:00 AM MST to 11:59 PM MST
Where
Central Phoenix forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 2 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three fatalities (1 direct and 2 indirect) were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender, circumstances, and exact location unavailable.

Heat, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley

When
June 17, 12:00 AM MST to 11:59 PM MST
Where
Scottsdale/Paradise Valley forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One direct fatality was reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender, circumstances, and exact location unavailable.

Heat, East Valley

When
June 17, 12:00 AM MST to 11:59 PM MST
Where
East Valley forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two fatalities (1 direct and 1 indirect) were reported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, with their details, such as age, gender, circumstances, and exact location unavailable.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Excessive Heat, Central Phoenix2022-06-16UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, East Valley2022-06-16UnknownDirect
Excessive Heat, Buckeye/Avondale2022-06-16UnknownDirect
Heat, Central Phoenix2022-06-17UnknownDirect
Heat, Central Phoenix2022-06-18UnknownIndirect
Heat, Central Phoenix2022-06-18UnknownIndirect
Heat, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley2022-06-17UnknownDirect
Heat, East Valley2022-06-17UnknownDirect
Heat, East Valley2022-06-18UnknownIndirect

What these are

Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.
Heat
Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arizona in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, June 2022

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1143704, 1143705, 1143706, 1143707, 1143708, 1143709.